Distilling apparatus.



R. C.'DUNDAS.

DISTILLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2a, 1913.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914.

nor 0. DUNIDAS; or 10s meaning-canteens.

DISTILLING arrenafirus.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 8, 1914;

I Appliation-flleilianuaty 23, 191%. Serial-No.- 743,871.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Roy. 0., DUNDAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of 'Los *Angeles and State of: California, have invented a certain new A and us'eful Distilling Apparatus of which the following is a specification.

- My invention relates toan apparatus for theudistillati'on of oils, tr'oleum oils-of California, and has for one of its objects to provide an apparatus in which the oil is distributedoverthe largest possible area during the vaporizing process, whereby the vapors are'free to pass off, as soon as they are liberated from the base, without having to penetrate through a dense and bulky mass, as is thecase in cylinder distilling."

Another object of this invention is.-to"provide. a: still! fin. which a low degreeof -heatmay be'used,-as compared with the high de-- gree'of heat employed in other systems of distillation; in which Waste heat may be employed for all purposes ofreducing the .pe-

troleum' toits final' base,-and in which the heat'may be always under control thereby to eliminate all danger of :destructive :distillation.

The accompanying drawing illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention.-

F igure L,is a vertical section of-thedis tilling apparatus. Fig. 2, is a transverse section on lines 2 Fig.. 1. Fig. 3, is a transverse section on lines :3-3,".Fig. 1; and F ig; 4, is a transverse section-on lines 4 -4 1.

The distilling apparatus shown. in the drawing, comprises three or more stills 1, 2, and 3, each in itself capable of carrying on a complete distillation of a certain quantity, of crude oil, and arranged in: combination for continuous: distillation; Each still consists of two-drums 4 and 5,interconnecte'd bytwosets of fines-6 and 7, expanded in the flue plates 8 and 9, of the drums' t'and -5, respectively. The fines-7, are of greaterdiameter than that of the :fiues 6, for-purposes to appear later, and

extend for a-short distance above the face of the flueaplate 8,. of the drum 4, said flues 7, being-separatedfrom the flues 6, by a wall specifically the pe- 10, rising which wall 10, forms substantially a tank 11, to which oil is delivered through the 1111165 6; In proximity to and 'spacedufrom said wall 10, 1S arplate'12, provided to prevent splash-' mg: of the oil films through all of the'larger fines-7... As seen, the upper edge of saidplate 12,- is curved away from-a vertical plane, in order that none of the oil flowing over the wall 10,

may :directly enter the larger flues 7. It will be'noted thatthe'specific function of this, wall 10," is to'cause'theoil to be thinnedtout vertically fromsaid' flue plate 8,

as it flows over the wall 10,- and' to cause-it 'toflow evenly? and: in thin:

IIY-blllk'iIS-lt *flo'ws thereover, in order thatvapors beingcarriedofi through the pipe 13,

'on'thetop of said drum.

The drum: 5, is divided into two compartments A'and B, by a partition 14, which also separates the sets of'flues-(i and 7. Oil'is deg; livered to the compartment A, through a pipe 15, leading into the bottom ofsaid drum 5,and throughthe lines 6, to the tank 11, in-drum *4, and overflows the tank 11, finally gravitatinginthin films through the dues 7, to-the compartment -B,in the drum 5. By means-of a pump 16,-the-oil in'the compartment B,-is deliveredthrough-a pipe 17, to the -'compartment A, in the lower drum 5, of :theadjaoent still 2, and the next still 3, in -which the oil follows the same course as in" the first still. The two setsof-flues 6 and 7 ineach-still, are separated from each other by-a. bafile plate18, which rises to within a short distance .of the flue .plate 8, whereby different degrees of heat "may be obtained in each still.-- Heat, obtainedfrom laterals to govern the passage of the heat from the main flue 19, to each still independently according to need.

Suitable means, such as a suction fan-29, may be provided to induce a draft through the stills, or a forced draft may be used where found more expedient. The flues of each still are incased by a cover or acket 30, removably applied, in order to gain access to the flues for cleaning or repairing, and this jacket 30, may be furnished with a nonconducting covering 31, to prevent loss of heat through radiation. I

The degree of heat used in this apparatus varies in each still and ranges from a maximum in the third still to a minimum in the first still. In this manner alone is ideal distillation possible because at no time is the heat of such a degree as to cause aforced vaporization. On account of the large area afiorded by the fines and the comparatively small amount of oil passing through the same, a low degree of heat is possible for effecting a complete and thorough evaporation, and this degree of heat may be stated to safely remain within any limit that will not cause cracking of the oils or destructive distillation in any of the stills, particularly the last or third still, where the increased density of the oil requires a maximum heat. When the still is set in operation, the dampers 23, in the main flue 19, are opened as are also those in the laterals, viz. 24:, 25, 26, 27 and 28, and the suction means, where this method of maintaining a draft is used, started. Oil is then forced through the pipe 15, to the compartment A, of the lower drum 5, from which it ascends through the smaller fiues 6, meeting in its upward travel a gradually increasing heat, and eventually filling the tank 11, in the upper druma. 1f

water be contained in the oil, it is gradually converted into a vaporous condition and is fully vaporized when itreaches the tank 11, from which the water vapors pass ed with the oil vapors when the oil is thinned by flowing overthe wall 10, as explained.

Since the transformation of the water into vapors is slow and concurrent with the liberation of the vapors of the oil, the undesirable and troublesome foaming is obviated.

The oil continuously .fiows'over the wall 10, in the upper drum of each still, onto the flue plate 8, then flows over the top of the larger fines and finally gravitates in thin films or 4 layers through said larger flues i. During the "cgiiirs'e of such downward flow or the oil evaporation takes place and the liberated .vapors are free to escape'through the vapor pipe 13. The oil in each still is subjected to varyingdegrees of heat as is obvious from the drawing, and consequence of this vanat on which is steady and unitormlyunplate in proximity mat er der control, the oil in each still is subjected to a heat which is neverldestructive and which tends to more speedily and more effectually liberate the vapors.

What 1 claim, is

1. A still comprising a plurality of drums interconnected by two sets of flues of different diameters, the upper drum having a vapor pipe and a wall forming substantially a tank, and the lower drum having a partition dividing it into two compartments and separating the larger from the smaller flues,

means to deliver oil into onejof the compartments of the lower drums and force it upwardly through the smaller set of flues into said tank'in said upper drum and cause it to continuously flow over said wall Whereby the oil is thinned and the generated vapors liberated, a deflecting plate in proximity to said wall to prevent the oil from unevenly entering the larger fiues, means to 1 lines connecting the other of said chambers with saidupper drum, a baflie plate within said heating chamber separating said larger fines from said smaller flues, and means to force oil. upwardly through said smaller 3. In a vaporizingfapparatus for oils, the combination witha heating chamber and meansto supply heat thereto, of an upper drum anda lowerdrum forming part of said heating cliamber,'- said lower drum being divided into two chambers, and said upper drum having a-a-awall forming .an oil reservoir, and a vapor pipe, a plurality of fiues connecting one of the chambers of said lower drum with the reservoir of said upper drum, a pluralityf'of fluesoi larger diameter than said first named flues connecting the other of said chambers of said lower drum with said upper drum, 9. deflecting to said wall, and means go force oil upwardly through said smaller ues. r 4. 111 a vaporizing apparatus for oils, comprising a series of unit stills, severally consisting ofthe combinationof a heating chamber, arr-upperdrum. and a lower drum forming part oi'ssaid chamber, said upper drum having a vertical wall therein of a and a. said height less than that of said-drum and formoil to said smaller pipes, and means to sup- 1o ing a reservoir, and said lower drum being ply heat to said pipes according to need. divided into two chambers, a plurality of In testimony whereof I aflix my signature pipes connecting the reservoir of the upper in the presence of two Witnesses.

t drum with one of the chambers of the lower ROY, a DUNDAS.

drum, a plurality of pipesof larger diameter than said first named pipes connecting Witnesses:

the upper drum with the other of said cham- E. L. STILWELL,

bers in said lower drum, means to supply AN'mN Gmmznnn, Jr. 

